Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Londoner on October 26, 2008, 02:53:41 pm
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Why do we use these pathetic so called Leisure batteries? They pack up in no time and cost a fortune. An ordinary car battery is cheaper and lasts longer. Whats the problem ??
Halfords batteries come with a four year guarantee.
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a car battery is not made to be run flat regularly, a leisure battery is.
I have had a leisure for 3 yrs, charging every night, still no problem with it.
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why not have a split charge system fitted, i have a leisure battery and have had no probs yet and never have to worry about charging battery
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err, why not buy a leisure battery with a gaurantee? Free battery for life then if it packs up. I have a theory you get what you pay for and this applies to batteries too.
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err, why not buy a leisure battery with a gaurantee? Free battery for life then if it packs up. I have a theory you get what you pay for and this applies to batteries too.
Don't work I'm afraid, my 2 year guarantee battery packed up after 1 year and the guarantee still runs from original date of purchase not date of replacement, thay ain't that daft.
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err, why not buy a leisure battery with a gaurantee? Free battery for life then if it packs up. I have a theory you get what you pay for and this applies to batteries too.
Don't work I'm afraid, my 2 year guarantee battery packed up after 1 year and the guarantee still runs from original date of purchase not date of replacement, thay ain't that daft.
That's just not the case with batteries; Wor Lass hoovers the whole house at least twice-per-day and can get through a good quality hoover in six months; through excessive wear 'n' tear (I'm sure she suffers from OCD, but I do live in a really clean and tidy house ;D).
So when we get a replacement, and she knacks that one (from excessive use), I've found out it was only from the purchase of the original hoover.
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Why do we use these pathetic so called Leisure batteries? They pack up in no time and cost a fortune. An ordinary car battery is cheaper and lasts longer. Whats the problem ??
Halfords batteries come with a four year guarantee.
I agree.
I've only been wfp for 18 months and been through two batteries, onto third now, which is a van battery, so might be better.
By the way, leisure batteries are not designed to be run down.
They can safely go to 20% capacity, instead of 30% on a car battery.
If you run it flat you will kill cells and make it smaller.
Hence why mine only lasts 2 or 3 hours.
Trouble is, leisure batteries are supposed to be charged at small ampages, like 2amps.
But 6 or 7amps per hour from your pump, for 5 or 6 hours...that would take in excess of 17-20 hours to charge!
So there isn't time to charge it fully back up.
So each time it's getting a bit lower...until damage begins.
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Batteries used to power pumps for window cleaning are working at maximum six or eight hours a day. A car battery works for a few seconds a day - they work when the ignition key is turned.
It is possible to purchase a deep cycle batery that will last for many years however you will be looking a cost of about £400 - £600.00 they are very hard to source - I will try and find a link
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I use a pair of huge, heavy duty 6 volt batteries - wired to to give 12v output - been using them for 18 months plus and always left on charge overnight, still going great guns and on charge overnight, every night.
On my backpack/trolley (shopping trolley :-[) I have an 80 ah car battery and that ids also left on charge overnight.
Both batteries on an intelligent charger and most of the time both are fully charged by the morning.
I'll be interested to know how long the car battery lasts; oh, and both batteries are going full bore several hours a day.
In the past though I've found they only last about a year or so...maybe because I tend to buy budget ones?
I'm thinking that perhaps if the van mount ones are connected to a split charge relay they will last many times longer, which would certainly offset the cost of getting one fitted...
My van battery had to be replaced the other day, I've given Squeaks it now as a backup battery, and I'll be interested to know how well it lasts him compared to the one that now only gives him 3 hours use a day, especially as it is now too duff to be used as a van battery...but it is a heavy duty one.
It may well be too knackered to be of any use to him...I'm going to be very interested to find out how it performs...
Ian
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My van battery had to be replaced the other day, I've given Squeaks it now as a backup battery, and I'll be interested to know how well it lasts him compared to the one that now only gives him 3 hours use a day, especially as it is now too duff to be used as a van battery...but it is a heavy duty one.
It may well be too knackered to be of any use to him...I'm going to be very interested to find out how it performs...
Ian
I used it today for about 2 and a half hours, and when I put it back on charge it's telling me it's still at 80%.
Can't see it being a problem then.
I put it on all day yesterday on a reconditioning charge.
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Why not just wire it into the van battery, 3 years now, no problems.
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Why not just wire it into the van battery, 3 years now, no problems.
You've got to be driving far enough between jobs, and not doing too much at a time though.
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True.
I have a split charge relay and it does a good job of keeping my battery topped up.
But about once a month it will still go flat as all my work is about 5 minutes from my home the battery does not get a desent charge between jobs.
But it beats having to charge it every night.
My battery is 3 years old and still going strong.
Don't know if it would have lasted this long without the split charge relay
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Why not just wire it into the van battery, 3 years now, no problems.
You've got to be driving far enough between jobs, and not doing too much at a time though.
Yeah, but DM@SI is a gangmaster see, doesn't do any work, just pays slave labour rates and drives round cracking the whip, so his battery doesn't get much use.
;D only kidding Dave!
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Squeeky
That isnt true , why dont you just try it , i swear you will never go back, works for me on 3 vans, some days we dont go as far as 500yds, even park up for 4 hours at a time with 2 pumps running constantly.
TRY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave
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sealed lead acid batteries ie leisure batteries , i,ve managed to revitalise a couple of mine by removing the top cover and refilling with distilled water , if the water is not covering the plates they won,t work correctly , worth a try guys regards alan
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sealed lead acid batteries ie leisure batteries , i,ve managed to revitalise a couple of mine by removing the top cover and refilling with distilled water , if the water is not covering the plates they won,t work correctly , worth a try guys regards alan
Why not use deionized water :P
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sealed lead acid batteries ie leisure batteries , i,ve managed to revitalise a couple of mine by removing the top cover and refilling with distilled water , if the water is not covering the plates they won,t work correctly , worth a try guys regards alan
Why not use deionized water :P
Where would you get that from?
??? ??? ;D ;D ;D
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Squeeky
That isnt true , why dont you just try it , i swear you will never go back, works for me on 3 vans, some days we dont go as far as 500yds, even park up for 4 hours at a time with 2 pumps running constantly.
TRY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave
To clarify this Dave, your using the Van battery for starting and powering your wfp system? Do you have any wiring diagrams?
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sealed lead acid batteries ie leisure batteries , i,ve managed to revitalise a couple of mine by removing the top cover and refilling with distilled water , if the water is not covering the plates they won,t work correctly , worth a try guys regards alan
Why not use deionized water :P
Same thing, just a different way of producing it. I'm sure that on the parts per billion scale you can measure the difference, but ppm it should be the same. :)
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sealed lead acid batteries ie leisure batteries , i,ve managed to revitalise a couple of mine by removing the top cover and refilling with distilled water , if the water is not covering the plates they won,t work correctly , worth a try guys regards alan
Why not use deionized water :P
Same thing, just a different way of producing it. I'm sure that on the parts per billion scale you can measure the difference, but ppm it should be the same. :)
Just thought it would be easier to tack it from a huge tank in the back of a van ::)
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I use a battery from an HGV, I only charge it once a fortnight and never had it go flat on me, been going strong over a year now - and it was a second hand one from the scrappy.
Only down side is they are a bit big and VERY heavy, but mine goes under the passenger seat of the van.
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Squeeky
That isnt true , why dont you just try it , i swear you will never go back, works for me on 3 vans, some days we dont go as far as 500yds, even park up for 4 hours at a time with 2 pumps running constantly.
TRY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave
To clarify this Dave, your using the Van battery for starting and powering your wfp system? Do you have any wiring diagrams?
Yes thats right , you dont need a digram , just wire positive to positive and neg to neg
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Transporters would be good for doing this as they have heavy duty batterys,you might have trouble doing this on sn old dog of a van though with a dodgy alternator etc,on a newish van i couldn`t see any problems unless your unlucky and have a faulty battery.
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Concept 2o run everything from the van battery but reckon on changing it after eighteen months i was told.
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I have had this setup since my system was installed last december and all was well till it went flat yesterday. I was only 5 mins walk away from home so didnt matter. Went and bought a new one ..... however this battery was a few years old anyway before it had a pump wired into it , i will definately continue using this method because as long as you have a spare battery in van it is by far the simplest with no split relay installation or nightly charging routine. 8)